Well I've been sick as a dog all week. I went to the doctor yesterday and got prescribed this medicine that's so strong you wake up with a hangover. Luckily I wrote this when I was feeling good. If I suddenly stop posting it's probably because I've died. Not from my illness, from all the make up work I'm going to have when I finally get back to school! Ugh!

THE TURNING POINT

Iikiba and ran out of the kitchen, then realized he was running towards the front door so he turned around and ran the other way. A training journey! Why hadn't he thought of it before? It was perfect! It would give him a break from all the people who were getting on his nerves and a chance to train without Makoto getting in the way!

He opened the door to his room to find Yuri. She was sitting on a stool in front of a vanity mirror and brushing her hair; she was wearing a long purple night gown and matching slippers.

"What are you doing in my room?" Iikiba glared at his sister.

"This is my room. Yours is across the hall." Yuri said and pointed the way.

"Oh, right." Iikiba turned around and went into his own room this time. Since he had had this room most of his life he had memorized where everything was pretty well. He walked straight to the closet and started throwing out clothes and other junk.

"What are you looking for?" Yuri asked as she stood in the doorway.

"None of your business!" He snapped.

Yuri sighed. "Why must you act this way? Why have I been cursed with such a dishonorable brother?"

Iikiba laughed in an irritated kind of way. "You know, I'm almost going to miss your…uh…unique sense of humor Yuri." Iikiba held up what he had been looking for, an overlarge backpack. "But you won't have to worry about your dishonorable brother anymore!"

Then he noticed that Yuri was no longer there. "Yuri?"

Just then Ryoga ran into the room and grabbed Iikiba in a bone crushing hug. "Don't run away Iikiba! I'm sorry I made you do dishes!" He cried.

"Dad! Cool it!" Iikiba struggled but couldn't move. "I'm not running away!"

Ryoga released him immediately and turned back towards the hall. "Yuri!"

"Don't allow him to fool you Father." Yuri stepped into the room. "I heard it with my own two ears! He plans to start anew in a far away land! Perhaps join a chain gang."

"I never said any of that!" He growled.

Ryoga sighed, half exasperated and half relieved. "Then what the heck are you doing?"

"I'm going on a training journey!" Iikiba said triumphantly.

"Training journey?"

"Yeah! I was thinking about what you guys said about rushing into battle over and over again. So I though the best thing to do would be a training journey, right? That way I can finally get good enough to defeat Jatsuma!"

"And miss school?" Yuri said, ashamed. "You would allow your grades drop more than they already have?"

"Shut up! It's a good plan!" He yelled. "Right Dad?"

"Iikiba, I'm…I'm," Ryoga's eyes were watering. "So proud of you!"

"Dad, geez."

"Right, sorry." Ryoga tried to regain his composure.

"Do you really think one trip will make any difference?" Yuri said irritably.

"You're just mad because I'm not in trouble!" Iikiba smirked.

She leered at him. "Oh no my dear brother, if I wanted you in trouble, you would be in trouble."

"Wow, I'm so scared." Iikiba said sarcastically.

Yuri's aura shot up and sent a series of cold shivers down their spines. But being used to it they stood their ground.

"T-There's no reason to be so upset Yuri." Ryoga said trying to calm her down. "Your brother is going to be working really hard."

Yuri snorted. "Knowing him he won't even be able to find any training grounds, much less his way b-" Her aura suddenly returned to normal. "Have a good trip!" With that she left the room, apparently in high spirits.

"That, she …ARRH!" Iikiba yelled in frustration.

Ryoga scratched his head and sighed again. He had long given up trying to make Iikiba and Yuri get along; it was like trying to stop Makoto from going after Iikiba (an endeavor he and Ranma had given up on years ago). Besides he was too excited about Iikiba's determination to beat Jatsuma to be worried with their sibling relationship right now. His own son doing all this just to defeat Ranma's son!

"So when are you leaving?" Ryoga asked.

"Preferably, as soon as possible." Iikiba walked over to his overlarge backpack and started shoving clothes into it.

"What? But you're not nearly prepared!"

Iikiba raised an eyebrow. "Prepared?"

"Trust me, there are a lot of places to get lost in out there. Plus you…you could be attacked by a bear or fall off a waterfall!"

Iikiba rolled his eyes. "I'll handle it okay?"

"Well you could at least use a map." Ryoga left the room and after several attempts found his own room. It was cluttered with all the souvenirs from his travels so it was difficult to find anything. But after looking for a few minutes he found an old dusty box that contained his collection of maps.

Some were crudely drawn ones of his own design but others were picked up in souvenir shops and depicted everything from a full map of Japan to a map of some forgotten amusement park. Ryoga decided to take the whole lot of them. Holding as many as he could carry he started back towards Iikiba's room.

"His room is across the hall." Yuri said.

"Right." Ryoga swung around, dropping several maps in the process.

Yuri walked out after him. "Is he still planning on going?"

"Of course he is!" Ryoga didn't contain the pride in his voice.

"Just checking." Yuri smiled.

Just then Iikiba opened his bedroom door and stepped out. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with a dragon design in the front near the shoulder, tan pants and his overlarge backpack. "Well I'm heading out."

"WHAT?" Ryoga shouted and maps flew everywhere. "But I haven't even shown you the best routes yet!" He followed Iikiba down the hall.

Iikiba doubted very much that he knew any routes at all. "No time, I've got to get going."

"Well you could at least wait until morning." Ryoga said, looking up at the clock as they passed through the dinning room. "It's nearly…1 A.M.!"

"I can't! If I wait then Makoto will show up and stop me from going, or worse, want to come along." Iikiba tuned on Yuri. "And don't you go telling her where I've gone!"

"And risk the chance you would return? What kind of person do you take me for?"

Iikiba thought it better not to say in front of Ryoga so he decided just to glare at her.

"Well...how about I go with you? I can help you train!" Ryoga suggested.

That was almost as bad as Makoto coming. "No! I mean ...but if you come then…uh," Iikiba struggled to find an excuse. "We'll get twice as lost!"

Ryoga gasped. "You're right!"

Wow, that worked?

Iikiba was now at the front door. He opened it and felt the cold night air on his face. He could hear the sounds of the city coming from far away. But their apartment building was next to the park so all he could see were trees and the street running up to the main road.

"Well…bye!" Iikiba started to run off.

"Hold on!" Ryoga grabbed hold of his backpack to stop him and shoved the remainder of the maps into his arms. "You'll want to know where you are!"

"Oh, okay." Iikiba took off his backpack and shoved the maps down as far as he could but they still stuck out when he closed it.

He started to walk away again when he turned back to look at his father and sister. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"If I don't come back, be sure to tell Makoto…" He took a deep breath. "So long sucker!" He laughed.

"I'll be sure to." Ryoga said sarcastically.

With that Iikiba started to run up the street. "Bye!"

"Train hard Iikiba! I'm sure you'll get better!" Ryoga called after him.

"I'll do more than that!" He called over his shoulder as he continued to run. "When I get back I'll beat that Jatsuma once and for all!" He rounded the corner onto the main street and was out of sight.

Ryoga swelled with pride.

Yuri looked up at her father. "Did it ever occur to you that passing your grudges to future generations could cause severe psychological trauma?"

Ryoga looked at her. "No, why?"

Yuri shrugged and walked back into the apartment.

IN THE MORNING

Makoto was jogging down the street at a steady pace; it was 7:05 so she still had plenty of time. She had gotten a real ear full last night about sticking to commitments and whatnot. At least she was better off than Jatsuma who finally got home around eight o'clock covered in dirt and bruises; Luffa had attacked him while he and Eri where walking in the park. But Makoto found it hard to worry about any of that now. It was a new day, the sun was shinning and she would be seeing Iikiba in a few minutes. She just had the feeling that this was going to be a great day.

Makoto ran around the apartment building and up to the Hibikis' door. There was a sigh on it that read 'Room for Rent'.

"That's strange. They don't have any extra rooms." Makoto knocked on the door.

Yuri answered it. "Oh, it's you."

"Good morning!" Makoto tried to smile but found it difficult with the shiver running down her spine. "Is Iikiba ready to go?"

Yuri stared at her, as if weighing her options. "He's gone." She said after a moment.

"Gone?" Makoto growled. "If he ran off again-"

"No. I-It's not that." Yuri said in her too tragic to be real voice. "He was found lying on the kitchen floor this morning…dead."

"WHAT?"

"The doctors did an autopsy. It seems he died of…" She couldn't help smirking. "Dishpan hands!"

Makoto's body relaxed and she rose and eyebrow. "Dishpan hands?"

"What a horrible way to go!"

"Oh come on! No one has ever died of dishpan hands!"

"Oh really?" Yuri looked up at Makoto, apparently amused. "Then why don't you come inside and find him yourself?"

Makoto pushed past Yuri and walked into the dinning room where she set down the breakfast she had brought for them. "Iikiba! It's time to go!" She called. There was no crash or loud cursing, which is what usually happened when Makoto called him. She walked down the hall and looked in Iikiba's room, the bathroom, and then ever other room in the hall. The only strange thing was that Iikiba was missing and his room was a total mess.

Makoto walked back to the dinning room where Yuri was at the table eating a bowl of the soup Makoto had made. "Where is he?" She demanded.

"The nether world I suspect."

Makoto was about ready to strangle her. Right then Ryoga walked out of the kitchen. "Good morning Makoto. Iikiba has gone on a training journey so could you get his homework for him?"

"Training journey?"

"Why must you spoil my fun?" Yuri asked.

"Hold on!" Makoto yelled as Ryoga poured the soup out of the plastic contain into a bowl. "You let him run off all by himself AGAIN!"

"Well when you put it like that…"

"I've got to find him!" Makoto was about to run out the door but Ryoga grabbed hold of her arm to stop her.

"It's alright! It's just a training journey!" He said. Makoto continued to glare at him. "It's perfectly safe!" He persisted.

"That's not what you said last night." Yuri said.

"The POINT is that he will be fine!" Ryoga glared at Yuri. "I used to wonder around on my own all the time, besides he'll be back before you know it!" He insisted.

"Define 'before you know it'." Makoto said.

"A couple of weeks tops."

"A COUPLE OF WEEKS?"

"Well you can't just expect to get better in a few days! This is about honor and becoming a stronger fighter…and finally showing Ranma what for!" Ryoga went off on a tangent, filled with fighting spirit.

Makoto stared at him for a second and then rolled her eyes. "So that's what it's about. Iikiba wants to get better so he can beat Jatsuma, huh?"

"Well, yes…just give him some time!" Ryoga pleaded. "I swear! He'll be back in no time!"

Makoto groaned. She was probably going to regret this. "Oh, alright, fine!"

"Thanks." Ryoga said, relieved that he at least got Iikiba a head start.

"Yeah, whatever." Makoto grabbed her school bag and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

That guy has some nerve. She thought furiously. Iikiba just ran off and left her with out even saying goodbye! And after all she did for him too! Getting him to school, helping him with homework, making his meals. But he doesn't even bother to say goodbye! He could have at least told her that he was going!

She brooded over it so much that by the time she got to school she was in a very bad mood. "I'LL BET THAT JERK JUST WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled out loud. Students standing around in front of school turned to see who was making the racket.

Daichi was so surprised by the noise that he tripped and fell (again) but he quickly got back up and staggered towards his sister. "Hey, Makoto. Where's Iikiba?" He looked around for him.

"He went on a training journey without even telling me!" Makoto yelled. "Can you believe it?"

"Um…well sort of." Daichi could definitely believe it, but there was no point telling Makoto that. She was always like this when it came to Iikiba.

"So Iikiba finally escaped?" Jatsuma stuck his head out of the hedge behind her.

Makoto jumped back in surprise. "What the…! What the heck are you doing?"

"Getting what he deserves." Daichi said.

"Nobody asked you!" Jatsuma snapped.

"He's hiding from Luffa." Daichi explained.

Makoto glared at Jatsuma. "Well good! I'm glad she's giving you a hard time! It's your fault Iikiba left!"

"What? What did I do?"

"He's off training so he can beat you! You and your…your stupid rivalry!"

"It's not my fault he can't fight!"

Just then the bell for classes to start rang and students started walking towards the school.

"I hope you're proud of yourself!" Makoto yelled and stomped off.

"It's not my fault!" Jatsuma called after her.

"Come on, I think it's safe to come out now." Daichi said as he started walking towards the school. Jatsuma jumped out of the bush and followed.

"Who does she think she is? Blaming me!" Jatsuma said.

"Uh huh."

Jatsuma glared at Daichi. "You don't think it's my fault, do you?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't not say that."

"It's not that." Daichi said. "I just have a weird feeling, like something is about to happen.'

Jatsuma shrugged. "Probably something cliché."


I take it back. I'm more likely to die of alcohol poisoning. I just took my morning dose and I feel woooooozzzy. And that was only a teaspoon! Stupid medicine!